SOUTHPORT Dramatic Club takes us bounding into 2009 with a mind-boggling, nerve-jangling treat of a play.

As psychological thrillers go, they don’t come much more gripping than this. Robert Thomas’s “Trap for a Lonely Man” takes us to the French Alps where we find newlywed Daniel Corban, a man slowly falling apart after his wife’s mysterious disappearance.

Reporting her missing to police, Daniel (played by Ted Bullen) is visited by a young priest (Steve Pritchard), who claims to have found Madam Corban, alive and well, and sorry for running out on her husband. But when the woman arrives, Daniel is shocked to discover that it’s not his wife...

Although all the action unfolds in one room, the play races along at a thrilling pace, packed with slick dialogue, powerfully delivered by a talented cast.

The brilliant Ted Bullen brings Daniel’s torment to life vividly. David Charters injects some gentle comic relief in the form of the tramp, while director Ray Mann does an excellent job standing in for Jamie Clark as the mysterious police inspector. Sandra Unsworth plays up The Woman’s sly, villainous traits with delightful vigour, and Susanne Denner adds well to the intrigue as the seemingly corrupt nurse.

A beautifully detailed set adds to the drama and the play draws us in from the minute the curtain goes up. The overriding sense of mystery – and the urge to skip the interval to find out ‘who done it’ sooner! – is what makes the play stand out. A must-see. Kathryn Carr